[CANUFNET] Tree "Sexism" in Canada: Call for information & thoughts

[Greg King]

Hi all,

Just a quick FYI that the article written by Ally Hirschlag for the
Guardian about male trees and allergies, for which there was a
informational request sent to CANUFNET back in March, was published on May
16. Here is a direct link:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/may/16/how-urban-planners-preference-for-male-trees-has-made-your-hay-fever-worse

Kind regards,

Greg

On Wed, 4 Mar 2020 at 08:04, Rebecca Seltzer via CANUFNET <
canufnet at list.web.net> wrote:

> Hello everyone,
>
>
>
> We at Tree Canada just received some questions from a reporter at the
> Guardian, and I thought it would be good to share with the wider urban
> forestry community. Please do contact Ally Hirschlag directly with your
> comments.
>
>
>
> *Context:*
>
> “Male trees are cleaner and easier to manage than female trees. Unlike
> their female counterparts, distinctly male plants produce pollen but do not
> produce seeds, pods and fruit, which fall to the ground and create mess.
> Female trees also attract pests, including bees, because they provide a
> source of food.” Source
> <https://globalnews.ca/news/5403667/botanical-sexism-climate-change-asthma-allergies/>
>
>
>
> “Commercial horticulture produces vast numbers of all-male clonal
> selections from dioecious plants […] Close to 100% of all the ash (
> *Fraxinus)*, poplar (*Populus), *pistache *(Pistacia), *bay laurel *(Laurus),
> *junipers* (Juniperus), *willows* (Salix), *gingko tree *(Gingko), *
> Griselinia* (Griselinia), *mulberries* (Morus), *yellowwood*
> (Podocarpus), *locust* (Gleditsia) *and logwoods *(Xylosma) *sold are
> clonal males.” Source
> <https://books.google.ca/books?redir_esc=y&id=pAJCDwAAQBAJ&q=clonal+males#v=snippet&q=clonal%20males&f=false>
>
>
>
> *The questions:*
>
>    - In Canada, has there been a significant proportion of entirely male
>    trees or male clones planted in urban areas? Why has this trend been
>    perpetuated?
>    - Has this caused an uptick in pollen dispersal in urban communities?
>    - Do you know of specific communities in Canada looking to lower their
>    pollen count by adding more female trees and/or less allergy-causing
>    pollinators?
>    - What else are communities in Canada doing to combat worsening
>    allergies in urban or suburban areas due to high tree pollen counts?
>
> *Contact information:*
>
> Ally Hirschlag
>
> ally.hirschlag at gmail.com
>
> 2013144322
>
>
>
> Thank you all!
>
>
>
> [image: TreeCanada Logo]
>
> *Rebecca Seltzer*
>
> Program Assistant | Assistante de Programme
> treecanada.ca  arbrescanada.ca
>
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>


-- 
Dr. Greg King
<https://www.ualberta.ca/augustana/about-us/academic-staff/greg-king>
Assistant Professor of Environmental Science
Department of Science
University of Alberta - Augustana <https://www.ualberta.ca/augustana/>
4901 - 46 Avenue, Camrose, AB,T4V 2R3, Canada
Tel: +1.780.679.1181
Email: gking at ualberta.ca

The Augustana Campus of the University of Alberta is located at  ᐊᓯᓂᐢᑲᐤ
ᓰᐲᓯᐢ (asiniskaw sipisis - Stoney Creek) in Treaty 6 territory and a
traditional meeting ground for many Indigenous peoples. This land provided
a travelling route and home to the Maskwacis Nêhiyawak, Niitsitapi, Nakoda,
and Tsuut'ina Nations, the Métis, and other Indigenous peoples. Their
spiritual and practical relationships to the land create a rich heritage
for our learning and our life as a community.
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